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UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

JAMES E. ROGERS COLLEGE OF LAW


MAY 19, 2021

UPCOMING EVENTS

May 30

A Celebration of Life:

Kenney Hegland

Jun 22

Save the Date:

LawCats Live

Weekend of Nov 5

Save the Date:

Homecoming


Greetings,


Today we share exciting news about how giving by our engaged Arizona Law alumni is transforming the college's advocacy program.


We already have one of the country's top advocacy programs, and this initiative will ensure that our students and professors have the learning spaces and resources to match the quality of the program. Read on!

 

Until the footnotes,


Marc

FEATURE

$1M Gift from Kevin R. Boyle ('97) Launches Fundraising Effort to Transform Advocacy Program

Draft rendering of the new Kevin R. Boyle Trial Courtroom

Draft rendering of the new Kevin R. Boyle Trial Courtroom


On Monday we announced the launch of a $6 million fundraising initiative in support of our Advocacy program. The initiative, dubbed "A New Day in Court," will raise funds to renovate our student courtrooms, establish an endowed faculty chair of advocacy and support student experiential learning. 


The initiative also includes renaming the program to the Thomas Mauet Advocacy Program, in honor of Professor Emeritus and renowned trial expert Thomas Mauet, who retired as advocacy program director in 2016.

Kevin Boyle headshot

Kevin R. Boyle (’97), a founding partner of the Los Angeles-based firm Panish Shea & Boyle LLP, has contributed $1 million to the effort, establishing the Kevin R. Boyle Trial Courtroom, which will take the place of our current trial courtroom and a classroom. When renovations are completed, the Kevin R. Boyle Trial Courtroom will be a modernized space with room for 50 observers in the gallery and a space that can serve as a jury room or a conference room. 


Kevin specializes in resolving large, high-profile plaintiffs cases by trial or settlement. His notable victories include an $800 million settlement with MGM Resorts on behalf of the families and victims of the 2017 Las Vegas music festival shooting and a $13.5 million settlement with Boeing following a helicopter crash in Iraq, which is the largest known settlement for military personnel injured during the Iraq war. He shares,


"I am honored that University of Arizona Law presented me with this opportunity. I am hopeful that this state-of-the art courtroom will attract talented students interested in trial practice, and help set them on their way to all forms of successful trial careers." 


Spaces that Reflect Modern Legal Practice


With the "A New Day in Court" initiative, University of Arizona Law will create fully functional, state-of-the-art spaces that give students experience in modern courtroom settings.


Planned renovations include:


• Combining an existing classroom and the jury courtroom into a professional, modern, trial courtroom fully visible through a glass partition


• Remodeling the existing appellate courtroom to create a flexible, dual-purpose appellate courtroom and classroom


• Constructing a new dual-purpose jury deliberation/conference room


• Remodeling the south lobby to create new study spaces and an unrestricted view of courtroom activities


• Adaptable, cutting-edge technology and audiovisual capabilities throughout


In addition to the $4 million needed for the building renovations, the "A New Day in Court" initiative is raising $2 million for an endowed chair of advocacy, an endowed professorship, and an endowment fund to support student experiential advocacy activities, such as travel to trial competitions.


Schmidt, Sethi & Akmajian Contributes $250,000 to Fundraising Effort

schmidt sethi akmajian

The all-alumni Tucson firm of Schmidt, Sethi & Akmajian is supporting the “A New Day in Court” initiative with a $250,000 gift toward the lobby renovation. Founding partner and 1977 alumnus Ted Schmidt is a member of the fundraising initiative's steering committee, and is rallying more classmates and peers to join the effort:


"Our firm wants to ensure that the University of Arizona remains an elite institution that is equipped to train the next generation of successful trial attorneys. We envision the future Schmidt, Sethi & Akmajian Lobby to be a place where Arizona Law students gather in study groups, watch their classmates perform in court sessions, and engage in those invigorating discussions that make law school so interesting."

Read the full story on our website.


To find out more, contact Megan O'Leary at moleary@arizona.edu. 

AROUND THE COLLEGE

Invitation to Prof. Kenney Heglands Celebration of Life.jpg
RSVP to Celebration of Life

IN THE NEWS


UA's Butler On Tackling Medical Debt Without Lawyers

Law 360, featuring professor Stacy Butler


Tucson Opinion: ACC's Lea Márquez Peterson gets a do-over on Arizona clean energy

Tucson.com, opinion by professor Priya Sundareshan


~

Legal Writing video to grads

"A message to Arizona Law's class of 2021 from the legal writing faculty."


@uarizonalaw, Facebook


Advocacy is a fundamental skill for all lawyers – not just litigators.


With the renovation of our space through new, transformative gifts from our alumni, we're literally putting advocacy front and center in our law school.


With these investments Arizona Law will have the ability to offer students the best possible education in advocacy for the next century.


Warmly,

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